KUED Home Programs TV Schedules Support KUED Shop KUED Contact KUED


Resource & Discussion Guide

This study guide, with the accompanying videotape or DVD, is designed for grades 7-12. It includes six short (7-20 minutes each) videotaped segments from SUBSTANCE OF DENIAL, accompanying hands-on classroom activities and student discussion topics. Each segment should take one to three class periods depending on the scope of the activities. The curriculum is to be used in conjunction with other class material pertaining to health, sociology and psychology, and should be adapted to fit in with specific grade levels.

This Resource & Study Guide is also available as a PDF document suitable for printing. In addition, print a supplement, Drug Definitions & Symptoms (print pdf ).

Introduction

We like to think it happens to other people in other cities. But the fact is that one in 20 Utahns -- or 100,000 people -- has a substance abuse problem. One-fifth of them is under the age of 18. Today, Americans spend more money on illegal drugs than on cigarettes.
Adolescence is a stressful time for kids. It’s also a time when teenagers are particularly susceptible to peer pressure to try drugs and alcohol. Most kids who are hooked on drugs begin experimenting early – between the ages of 14 and 16. In addition, drugs are also readily available, and the number one drug of choice for teens is marijuana because it is so easy to obtain.
In Utah, the instantly addictive methamphetamine has replaced marijuana as the number one drug of choice for adults, with one meth lab in every 10-block neighborhood, according to the documentary.
Regardless of how an addiction begins, its consequences can be tragic and far-reaching. An important first step is recognizing that there is a problem– even in Utah. We offer this resource and discussion guide as a way to start the conversation with friends, family and in the classroom.

LESSON STRUCTURE

Section I - Introduction
  • Discusses some of the reasons adolescents, teenagers and young adults begin experimenting with narcotics, prescription medications, tobacco and alcohol. It further explains that abuse of alcohol and drugs is epidemic in Utah, with one person out of 20 having a substance abuse problem requiring treatment.
Section II - Prevention
  • Begins by discussing the effectiveness of school drug prevention programs, as opposed to the “real” education kids get on the street from their peers, the media and popular culture. It also explains how the brain matures with the reasoned, logical, consequence-accepting area in the frontal lobe being the last to develop.
Section III - Addiction
  • Looks at addiction – what it is, who is most susceptible and how the brain interprets the substances of abuse. Personal stories detail the tremendous amount of time, effort, deception and money required to feed addiction.
Section IV - Substances of Abuse
  • Examines the abuse of prescription and over-the-counter pain medications. This section also provides an explanation of the history, popularity and devastation of methamphetamine.
Section V - Treatment
  • Looks into several treatment options for substance abusers. Because substance abuse is understood to be a chronic, relapsing disease, substance abusers find that when it comes to treatment, no single program works for everyone.
Section VI - Family Discussions
  • Provides insight for parents to become better educated about substance abuse. This includes what signs to look for if they suspect their child is using substances and likely places where drugs may be hidden in a child’s room or car. This section also touches on whether or not random drug testing should be allowed in schools.
Family & Parental Discussions
  • A solid relationship with parents and family provides teenagers with a support network.
Web Resources
  • Online Resources to visit for more information.

“Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgment.”
Rita Mae Brown